


The Art of Control

by truthtakestime



Category: Dark Matter (TV)
Genre: Bonding, Episode Tag, Fight Training, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-12 17:37:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19233922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truthtakestime/pseuds/truthtakestime
Summary: “Aren’t you going to ask why Iamhere?”He raised an eyebrow. “I figured you were getting to it.”“Oh. Um, okay.” She paused for a second, biting her lip. Four was about three seconds from walking away when she finally said, “I want you to teach me how to fight.”(Tag to S01E06)





	The Art of Control

**Author's Note:**

> I wish I had known about this show when it was actually airing, because binging two and a half seasons in like a week was not necessarily good for my health... but I adore it and I love them all so much and Five and Three and Six and the Android are all my favorites. 
> 
> I actually wrote this right after I watched the episode, before I got far enough into the show for Four to start screwing stuff up. Which I'm still a little salty about but it's fiiiiine... 
> 
> No beta because no one else I know has seen the thing yet. I apologize for any gross errors!

There was a peculiar peace in the sweep of a katana. The combination of grace, brutality, and precision was intoxicating. Four craved that delicate balance; it was the only way to calm the chaos raging in his head. When he held his weapons and put them through their paces, he could think of nothing else. 

The rest of the crew seemed to understand that there was something very personal going on when he was training; at least, they normally didn’t bother him unless it was an emergency. Which was why it was unusual how many times Five had interrupted him in the last forty-eight hours. 

She was back in the doorway again, a splash of absurdly bright color against the drab of the walls. Four noticed her almost immediately. But she didn’t say anything, just watched carefully as his body flowed through the motions. He decided to ignore her until he had completed the set. Surprisingly, she stayed quiet until he had done so. 

“That must take a lot of control,” she said finally, once he had relaxed from the finishing stance. “It all seems very complicated.”

Four just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If she had come to make small talk… 

“I’m not here to talk about your family again,” she said in a rush, showing what she’d learned about reading his moods. “I didn’t mean to upset you before, I just wanted you to know the truth. But you don’t have to talk about it with me.”

Four replaced his katana reverently, and slung a towel around his neck. “Good.” 

“Aren’t you going to ask why I _am_ here?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I figured you were getting to it.” 

“Oh. Um, okay.” She paused for a second, biting her lip. Four was about three seconds from walking away when she finally said, “I want you to teach me how to fight.” 

And just when he had thought the kid couldn’t possibly surprise him. “Why?” he managed. 

“Well, earlier you said that I lacked control… and you’re probably right. I thought that maybe if you taught me how to control my body, it would help me control my mind. Like your swords.” 

“Katana,” he corrected reflexively. 

“Sorry, katana. But it seems like this takes just as much mental control as it does physical. And besides, if I know how to fight -- really fight -- that makes me much more valuable to the crew.” 

Literally the only person who believed that Five fighting would make her of more value, was Five. But her having a basic understanding of close-quarters combat wouldn’t go amiss, either, in case anything ever happened to the rest of them. It wasn’t a bad idea. Except…

“Why don’t you ask Two for help? Or Six?” Four wasn’t sure he could manage teaching a kid. Teaching anyone, really, but especially Five. He didn’t have anything against her personally, but… she talked _a lot_. What if she expected him to talk back? 

A small frown drew her features together. “Six doesn’t want to help me,” she muttered. That didn’t come as much of a surprise; the big man had a soft spot for the kid. He would probably rather die himself than put Five in a position where she needed to fight.

“What about Two?” he repeated, because his insight into Six was probably not her top priority. 

“Two is so busy, I wouldn’t want to waste her time. Besides, your swords -- katana -- seem to require way more focus than just hitting things. She’s really strong, but… I’d still like to learn from you, if that’s okay?”

As the man that he was, Four should have been able to look down at her earnest, young face, and feel nothing. Compassion was a weakness in this line of work. 

He sighed. “Are you going to take no for an answer?”

‘“Oh, absolutely.” She blinked innocent eyes. “If you don’t want to, I’ll just ask Three for help.” 

That settled it. “We start tomorrow.” 

Five flashed him a blinding grin, and he knew for certain then that she’d played him. But somehow he couldn’t find it in himself to care.


End file.
